Pen Pen does Vegas
by GMB
Summary: Pen Pen embarks on the first of his adventures, traveling to beautiful Las Vegas! This light-hearted tale is rated PG for gambling/beer related themes. Feedback is appreciated.


Pen Pen does Vegas  
By GMB  
  
Evangelion and Pen Pen are Trademarks of their respective owners. This work of fiction is (c) 2001 by GMB.  
  
Note: Due to Pen Pen's minor role in the series, I assume many things about his character and background in this story. Please bear with me.   
  
The desk clerk thought she had heard the bell ring, though she couldn't see anyone nearby. The clerk cocked her head sideways, surveying the entire hotel lobby. Convinced no person had really rung for service, the clerk re-immersed herself in the latter-half of a trashy romance novel. Her dreamy scanning of the pages was altogether destroyed by the abusive ringing of the service bell. Startled, she looked down at the source of the racket: a black appendage pounding on the bell to the point that it almost fell from the desk. The clerk, in a most puzzled manner, peeked over the front of the desk. Indeed, the hotel did have another prospective guest. She gazed down the guest's long nose, into his glassy, aquamarine eyes.   
"Can I help you, sir?" the clerk managed. She couldn't help but wonder what this individual was doing out on his own. The mysterious visitor mumbled something and then produced a packet of folded papers. The clerk accepted the papers, taking a cursory glance at the first page. In large, legible print it read:  
  
I have reservations at this establishment under the name "Pen Pen". You will find the necessary paperwork attached.  
  
Sure enough, the next few pages were confirmation of his reservation. The desk clerk took the attached deposit reluctantly. She had her doubts. There's nothing in the rules against this, is there... The guest's identification card stated that he was of legal age to rent a room. But none the less... "Just a moment sir," the clerk picked up a phone. "Ma'am, I'd think you better come down here," spoke the clerk into the receiver.  
After 3 hours of explaining, Pen Pen relaxed in his executive suite hot tub. Ah, it's good to be a warm water penguin, thought Pen Pen. He knew they would give him a room despite the 'no pets' policy. He simply explained that he was a paying customer, and he had no pets. Not even the manager could argue with that. He had taken great care to avoid squawking at the hotel staff, suppressing all the rage he had picked up from his past interactions with Asuka. His great penmanship (no pun intended) and vast knowledge of local animal rights laws had been enough to land him in the best room in the joint.   
Pen Pen sipped a Heineken as he stared out his suites window, across the electric night horizon of Las Vagas. He had never seen Neon lights, aside from some occasional bar signs back in Japan. He jotted a note on his trusty pad:  
  
-Send Postcards to Misato and the gang, Rei, and Hikari  
  
He had never thought that Hikari would've let her precious new pet out of sight for even a minute. But even penguins need vacations, and Pen Pen had lots of money tucked away. He had made a fortune from recycling all of Misato's beer cans. The feathered-wonder reveled in the thought as he affixed his bow tie and matching top hat. He adjusted his trusty body-mounted air conditioner then grabbed his cane and trusty pen & pad. He mustered a laugh-like noise as he thought to himself, It's Show Time!  
Pen Pen's limo blasted down the main Vegas drag. He stuck his head out the moon-roof, squawking along to the fully cranked radio.  
  
Gonna be a rock-and-roll star, gotta groove from night to day  
Gotta blow my honey jar, gotta blow my blues away...  
  
Pen Pen took in the sights of the city. He gazed up at the towering signs, the gargantuan hotels, and most grand of all, the casinos. He thought back to his past adventures, knowing that he would have to pull some pretty wild stuff in order to top them. But he was confident that this would be his most worthwhile endeavor yet. Pen Pen's limo pulled up to the most famous casino in the world, still standing even after the catastrophic Impacts of days gone by. Caesar's Palace, mused Pen Pen as he gave the limo driver a generous tip. And tonight, it is my oyster...   
  
TO BE CONTINUED, based on feedback  
  
Note: Song excerpt taken from It's Electric (Tatler/Harris) released by Diamond Head on "Lighting to the Nations", 1980.  
  
  



End file.
